Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Shares Sold by Applied Finance Capital Management LLC

Applied Finance Capital Management LLC lessened its position in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 3.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 89,847 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 3,491 shares during the period. Valero Energy makes up 1.7% of Applied Finance Capital Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest position. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $22,199,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VLO. Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 3,400.0% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 105 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 134.0% in the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 117 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the period. Finally, Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Valero Energy news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total transaction of $2,011,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 19,742 shares in the company, valued at $5,294,212.14. This trade represents a 27.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Valero Energy stock opened at $280.54 on Monday. Valero Energy Corporation has a 12-month low of $130.78 and a 12-month high of $287.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The company has a market capitalization of $83.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 0.55. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $253.35 and its 200 day moving average price is $224.99.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.16 by $1.06. The company had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.38 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 15.94%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.89 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 31.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st were issued a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 34.88%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on VLO shares. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $276.00 to $292.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $220.00 to $292.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Zacks Research lowered shares of Valero Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Weiss Ratings downgraded Valero Energy from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their price objective on Valero Energy from $236.00 to $263.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $247.59.

Key Stories Impacting Valero Energy

Here are the key news stories impacting Valero Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Valero’s Gulf Coast refining network is benefiting from strong fuel demand, elevated crack spreads, and rising exports, which should support refining profitability. Strong Fuel Demand & Elevated Crack Spreads Support Valero’s Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Valero’s recent Russell reclassification into larger-cap and growth benchmarks may be drawing incremental index demand for the stock, while lower crude costs can help preserve refining margins. Why Valero (VLO) Is Up 5.0% After Russell Reclassification And Refining Margin Tailwinds
• Positive Sentiment: Renewed Middle East tensions and rising oil prices are keeping refining margins in focus, which can be supportive for Valero if crude costs remain softer than product prices. Can Valero Energy Benefit From Renewed Middle East Tensions?
• Neutral Sentiment: Valero is also being highlighted as a trending stock, which signals elevated investor attention but does not by itself change fundamentals. Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It

Valero Energy Company Profile

Valero Energy Corporation is a San Antonio, Texas–based integrated downstream energy company that manufactures and markets transportation fuels, petrochemical feedstocks and other industrial products. The company’s operations focus on refining crude oil into finished fuels such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, as well as producing asphalt and other refined product streams for commercial and industrial customers.

In addition to refining, Valero has significant operations in renewable fuels, including the production of ethanol and other biofuels, and it manages an extensive logistics network of pipelines, terminals, rail and marine assets to move feedstocks and finished products.